Rain, Rain, Go Away...Come again some other day (like July?)

Hohum, it's been dreary out there.  We've run into a drainage issue in the lower section of the garden, where a lot of early crops were planted.   It's usually a bit wetter down there, but according to our records we have been irrigating our early crops some in the spring - if this spring had been like the last 3 or 4 we would have been doing great.   Alas, it's rained about every other day, and the mud down there is past my ankles.    It's set us back a little with early crops, which had to be re-seeded on higher ground.   

Nevertheless, we all know that it will dry out sooner or later, and we've got an abundance of transplants to set in the ground.    Micro-greens have been started and are doing well.   So far, there mix consists of sorrel, arugula, purple radish, kohlrabi, cabbage, mizuna and purslane - with more being added almost daily.

We did pick up our two beef calves last Wednesday, and they have settled in well with the older "Mean and Ugly" in the field.   Of course, once again, they are neither.      We have been getting our calves from a local amish dairy farm, which raises these calves under excellent conditions, with access to a barn well bedded in clean straw, and a well-managed pasture.   They are also raised on milk, not on milk replacer, which we believe produces a healthier calf.

Sheep or Manatee?

Our two pet sheep, Daisy and Roxy were sheared on Mother's Day.   All shearing activity was closely observed by Mattie and all other farm yard critters!   Both sheep are now on a strict diet - the layers of fat rolls were hard to ignore...And all that just from grass!

May brings cute little critters!

It's May already!  There's lots of peeps in the brooder, two new piggies (Piggly and Wiggly the 2nd), and two steer calves coming this weekend!   

We need to get out and do a lot of hoeing - the moisture in the garden over the past couple of weeks has encouraged the weeds to take off, and we need to knock them back so our lettuce and spinach and peas can get ahead.

We'll also be putting out broccoli and cabbage transplants this weekend, they are looking beautiful!